Tube doors for a ZJ

[93redzj]

Im thinking about making some tube doors for my ZJ. I dont have any welding experience but would like to try and learn and my dad has a little welder he got from Lowes, I believe. I was wandering what kind of tubing I should be shopping around for and maybe a place to go hunt it down at? I have a steel scrap yard near me, FOILS, does anyone local know if they will have the tubing I would need? Also if anyone has any pics of some home made tube doors they have made and ways to get them to latch that would be a great help. Thanks

 

[Lurch830]

I bought a stick of 1" square tubing 1/8" thick and welded it up. I know they aren't "real" tube doors, but my truck's not really capable of going hard core yet so they're pretty much just for looks. For the latches, I went to the local pull-a-part and yanked some latches from another Nissan HB, drilled holes in the sheet metal and bolted them in. Covered the open area from hinges to latch in expanded metal.

might not be the answer you're looking for, but its worked so far for me

 

[johnski]

Do have or have access to a tube bender? That might help. Also, you can get sticks of tube from No Limit Off-Road in Harrisburg. http://www.nolimitoffroad.net/mainpage.html

 

[93redzj]

Lurch, do you have any pics of your doors?

Johnski, I dont have access to a hydraulic tube bender but I think my dad a style of tube bender I may be able to use, or would you need a hydraulic one to bend the kind of tube I would need?

 

[wheelNC94GC]

It doesnt have be a hydrolic bender,but you do need to make sure if you get pipe...use a pipe bender and if you get tube use a tube bender.

 

[Lurch830]

PM sent

 

[sharksanddanger]

here is a picture of the some tube doors I made. I used a latch from a company that just makes a shit ton of different latches but like lurch said you could easily go to the scrap yard and pull a couple..